The invention relates to a pallet, skid or spacer. More particularly, the invention relates to a pallet, skid or spacer constructed of bendable material which enables the pallet to assume an erected or collapsed position without disassembly.
Conventional pallets or spacers are used for supporting articles during storage or handling. The pallets must be constructed of a strong material to support the articles, yet be inexpensive and disposable. While wooden pallets have been used in the past, wooden pallets are relatively expensive, heavy and require a great deal of storage space when not in use.
Cardboard pallets and spacers are well known as a substitute for wood; see e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,728,545, 3,000,603, 3,115,105, 3,167,038, 3,952,672, and 4,563,377. These devices, however, are difficult to make with sufficient strength, and are either not collapsible or require disassembly before collapsing.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sturdy, light-weight pallet which is relatively inexpensive and easy to construct.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pallet which is collapsible without disassembly of the pallet.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a pallet in which a plurality of pallet sections can be attached to form several configurations of pallets, each pallet being collapsible.
To achieve these and other objects and advantages, the present invention relates to a pallet which includes a symmetrical structure of two or more pallet sections, which enables the pallet section to assume an erected or collapsed position without disassembly. When the pallet sections are attached to form a symmetrical pallet structure, the pallet structure is collapsible into a V-shaped configuration.